Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Heritage Flight Team pilot and commander performs a vertical climb in an F-35A Lightning II during the Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show Oct. 14, 2018, in Fort Worth, Texas. The F-35A Lightning II’s F-135 single-engine contains 43,000 pounds of thrust. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook)
A shipment containing components from a Royal Australian Air Force F-35A was unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong while being transported to the United States, triggering investigations in both Washington and Canberra.
The shipment included a cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door from an Australian F-35A being sent to the United States for inspection and possible repair or disposal. According to Bloomberg, citing people briefed on the incident, both components carried radar-absorbing material and were subsequently taken into Chinese government custody. The Pentagon has confirmed a shipment issue and says it is working to recover the components, but has not publicly confirmed who currently holds them.
Australia is also examining the incident. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the components were not regarded by Australia as sensitive, while Lockheed Martin described them as unserviceable and low risk for exploitation. The precise reason the shipment was routed through Hong Kong remains under investigation.
The incident nevertheless raises broader questions about supply-chain security and chain of custody within one of the world’s largest multinational combat-aircraft programmes. Australia serves as an important Indo-Pacific hub for F-35 sustainment and logistics.
Source: U.S. Department of Defense, Australian Department of Defence, Editorial note: AI-assisted editing.
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